“At a joint press conference, Autodesk, Inc. and Bentley Systems, Incorporated, announced an agreement to expand interoperability between their portfolios of architectural, engineering, and construction (AEC) software. Autodesk and Bentley will exchange software libraries, including Autodesk RealDWG, to improve the ability to read and write the companies’ respective DWG and DGN formats in mixed environments with greater fidelity.”
Boy – talk about a wealth of knowledge…
I took a quick look at the Autodesk Investor site and found a lot of interesting stuff. With the volatility ion the US stock market and others, many of you may be curious about what an investor may want to know about Autodesk. We all “invest” in their software, why not take a look at investing in the company.
http://investors.autodesk.com/
Ever want to see the Autodesk Annual Report? Here is a link to the 2008 report or all of the reports they have posted back to 1997.
You can keep an eye on their stock price here.
There are some down sides to Thought Leadership. They come if you don’t pay close attention to the whole process. They can be negative because the balancing act can sometimes go badly. It can go badly when you say or do something that brings disrepute on yourself or your firm. Thought Leadership comes with a lot of responsibility. You take into your own hands the reputation that you espouse and the reputation of all the people and groups you are associated with.
You might get the wrong reputation.
Do not enter into this arena lightly. There are great rewards, but there are also great consequences. If things take a downturn because you have misrepresented yourself, then it can take a while to get back on track.
CAD Managers are thought leaders. They lead others just based on the positions that they hold. They lead others based on the processes they refine. They lead others by documenting and unifying their firms. This leadership is granted beyond the position when CAD Managers earn the respect of others.
The down side of leading may happen when you lose the respect and trust of others. This can happen if you do not think about other peoples perspectives and agendas. CAD Managers are in the customer service business. The customer may not always be right, but getting them to understand that may be tricky. Adjusting their perspective is often a delicate dance. Respect them at all times. Seek to understand them.
Never Forget…
The down side of thought leadership is that is places you in a position that requires you to never forget that when you speak (on anything, or everything) people listen. They listen and think about you words. When you place your words out there for others to consider, you are placing yourself in a position for critique. If you fail to constantly respect the fact that others may be listening, then they may determine that your words are not sincere, not candid and not to be respected. Then they will turn away and find another.
Your reputation is a delicate thing. If you do not develop it, nurture it and respect it, it will be compromised and sullied. Reputation is what makes a Thought Leader.
Adobe Flash Technology Enhances Search Results for Dynamic Content and Rich Internet Applications
SAN JOSE, Calif. — July 1, 2008 — Adobe Systems Incorporated (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the company is teaming up with search industry leaders to dramatically improve search results of dynamic Web content and rich Internet applications (RIAs). Adobe is providing optimized Adobe® Flash® Player technology to Google and Yahoo! to enhance search engine indexing of the Flash file format (SWF) and uncover information that is currently undiscoverable by search engines.
Many would ask: Why should I bother doing all this? What’s in it for me? What will I gain by being a Thought Leader? Let me list a few things that I think make it an advantage to you and your career to become a Thought Leader. Admittedly these are from my personal perspective. Others might find value in things that I do not.
You gain Exposure
Above all of the benefits that you gain from being a TL (Thought Leader) you gain exposure. Notice I did not say positive exposure. This is because the exposure that you gain is dependent upon you making it positive. You can be “out there” and be thought of in a negative light if you play your cards wrong. You could espouse the wrong perspectives. You could be an average speaker. You could present yourself in a way that seems too negative. All of these could actually put you out there in a negative light.
You get Perks
There are many times when a Thought Leader will get into areas that were once off limits. I have been invited to conferences, events, press opportunities and more. Not because I necessarily have something fantastic to add to the event, but just because I am seen as one that “can” contribute or provide insight or reporting on the event, software or tools. I have not received nor really sought out “freebies”, but every so often someone will offer me something. The perks really come as opportunities to expand the ability to interact with others.
You get to Share
This is actually one of my most rewarding things. I enjoy passing on information and tips to others. I am not hoarding things. I am sharing about as much as I can. I do it through writing, speaking and interacting with others. I enjoy giving away advice.
You get Paid (sometimes)
Many writers get paid for their writing (at this time – I do not). I have submitted articles and gotten paid inthe past. I am not really focusing on that at this time. Many speakers get paid for their speaking (I usually do). I do focus on speaking opportunities. Most of these are paid or are swapped for free attendance at the event. I speak and get to attend the rest of the event for free. I am often invited to speak or I send in abstracts for presentations.
You gain Stature
Others will begin to see you as a leader. They will look to you for perspectives. They will ask you questions and seek your advice. They will want to interact with you. They will look to your experience as a possible reflection on what they could gain.
You increase your Options
By becoming known in your industry, you increase you options for employment. Those who have name recognition will have greater opportunity. You will know more people, have a larger network and be recognized by many more firms.
The benefits of being considered a Thought Leader are many. These are only a few. You could have more. There could be positive things that come from even the most limited exposure in the industry.
Get out there and speak up.
I was speaking recently with a CAD Manager who said that his firm did not really embrace the concept of people in their firm being thought leaders. They may not have come out and stated that, but they set up roadblocks and hurdles that may discourage employees from easily “speaking up” through writing or speaking at events.
This prompted me to think about what a firm might gain from there employees being seen and heard in the industry. What do the firms of those that are thought leaders gain from them being thought of that way. There are some downsides. Like possibly time away from the office, time spent connecting to others in the industry, splitting the thought process between work and industry thinking. So there may be some downsides, but what are the upsides?
Your Firm will be seen as having:
Top Talent
Your firm will be seen as having top talent. Most to the time the “big names” are consultants and industry pundants. By having Thought Leaders on staff, your firm is seen as one that is leading the way. Clients will want to interact with those that have a perspective that others seek out. By being a thought leader, you actually entice other top talent to join your firm. Talent wants to be associated with talent.
Industry Connectedness
When your firm has people that are thought leaders, it becomes connected to other leaders, vendors and industry analysts. When your firm is at an event, these people will seek you out and they will remember who you work for.
Vendor Deals
Vendors will know that you have a voice that speaks to the industry. That voice will provide some leverage when seeking “deals” with these providers. They know who you are and they know treating you and your firm right will/may get them discussed by you to others.
A Voice above the Crowd
Industry Analysts will take what you say and how you use tools in your firm as indications of the marketplace. They will pay attention when your firm implements a tool. Your firm wins.
A Presence in the Industry
When you attend events, people will know you and your firm. When you speak or write, people will know who you work for. This name recognition will place your firm in a position of standing out. The more your firms name is out there in a positive light, the better. Your firm will be seen as progressive and cutting edge. Your firm will be known for having the best people in the business.
Your Firm will get a happy employee
Being part of a greater community has advantages in that the person (you) feels connected. When you are connected to a large community, you have a sense of satisfaction that comes from knowing where the industry is headed.
Your Firm will have doors opened to it
Your presence in the industry will open doors that otherwise may not be open. Your firm gains by having opportunities it may not have gained otherwise. Other want to associate with your and your firm. Other firms that may hear or read your work want to get connected with your firm.
There are many areas where your firm wins from having you speak, write, teach and be involved in the larger community of users in your field.
I have always been curious about my readers. One area of curiosity is the gender balance. Are there more women than men reading this? Is it 50-50? Are there more men readers?
So I figured I would ask…
Please take the quick poll at the left and let me know.
Thanks,
Mark
Well actually, Lake Oswego. I am at the offices of Autodesk in Lake Oswego, Oregon. I am here with my fellow AUGI Board members. We have full days of meeting ahead of use. We will be discussing our current status and planning the future of the organization. On Friday we will meet up with fellow AUGI members. Please join us if you are in the area.
Continuing the Thought Leadership discussion…
Formal Speaking will take you to the next level. There are many places to get started in formal speaking. I would suggest that you start by volunteering to present something at you local user group. This is usually a more informal setting that allows you to work the kinks out of your style.
By presenting in these venues, you get a chance to work through your presentations and get some informal feedback from others. Are you well liked and people seem interested? Do the respond to your perspectives? This is an indication that you may be able to expand your efforts. If the room seems too silent, then you may need to polish your skills.
Select a topic that you are very familiar with. Make sure that you have tested your presentation before the event. Live presentations are difficult. Things can go wrong. Be prepared to fill the dead space when things take too long. It can happen to the best presenters. Things take longer than you think.
I suggest making a handout. People like having something to take with them.
Once you have done this a few times, you can graduate to even more official speaking engagements. We will talk about those soon.
Loading ...